The sound is ringing and brilliant . . . beautifully shaped and with a tasteful use of vibrato . . . [Tartini: "Devil's Trill" Sonata]: pointed and pristine, with wonderful supple phrasing in the slow sections. She plays all the concertos with a sense of freshness and a kind of happy vitality, ably abetted by the SCO . . . It's a delightful CD, with a warm and bright recording.

The sound is ringing and brilliant . . . There are arrangements of two Vivaldi arias, beautifully shaped and with tasteful use of vibrato . . . [Tartini's "Devil's Trill" is] pointed and pristine, with wonderful supple phrasing in the slow section. She plays all the concertos with a sense of freshness and a kind of happy vitality, ably abetted by the SCO . . . It's a delightful CD, with a warm and bright recording.

Benedetti's skill is evident in Vivaldi's Concerto in D, the "Grosso Mogul", where she maintains clarity throughout . . . it is ultimately the violin versions of the two Vivaldi arias that really stand out.

Record Review /
Alexander Bryce,
Scotsman / 04. October 2011

The most blissful performances here are the pair of Vivaldi arias transcribed for violin to take the vocal lines, which are elegant . . . the master's D major concerto "Grosso Mogul" has been served with such gusto, Benedetti's variety of bowing techniques animating the piece with suitable brio.

Record Review /
Andy Gill,
Independent (London) / 07. October 2011

. . . a stunning disc in all respects . . . she seems to have hit on an approach which sounds natural, vibrant, and reasonably authentic . . . This to my ears is a convincing, indeed a winning combination of technical thought and intuitive response to some very fine music . . . Benedetti's superb solos aside, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra is also something of a model in these pieces, proving to sound entirely at home with this Italian Baroque repertoire. The recording is superbly balanced, with the harpsichord blending nicely with the strings as it should, the soloist forward but not excessively close or voluminous. The programme is a marvellous mixture of meaty concertos, more intimate sonatas, and arrangements of some vocal works which sound excellent in this setting. One of the highlights is "Vedrò con molto diletto" from Vivaldi's "Il Giustino", which is one of those pieces with juicily dramatic harmonies over which the 'voice' draws beautifully expressive lines . . . I particularly like the energetic theorbo strumming in the third movement "Allegro of Vivaldi¿s Concerto in D major RV 208" . . . [Tartini's "Devil's Trill" sonata is] given a superb performance here, Benedetti seeking the emotional heart of the piece as much as the virtuoso display, which she renders with ease and enjoyably breezy wit . . . The final piece is "Summer" from "The Four Seasons", played both sensitively and impressively by all concerned. This is the kind of CD which is sheer joy from beginning to end, and one you will want to put on again and again, and again . . . The impression is just that of a bunch of expert musicians getting the very best out of what they are performing, recorded in an ideal environment by a crack production team. Not only for these reasons is this like a breath of fresh Mediterranean air coming through your loudspeakers. With Nicola Benedetti's remarkably fine playing one always has the impression that the rest of the musicians are at the peak of their abilities, raising their game and playing their socks off to make this a very fine disc indeed.